Business Profile
Gene Krueger
custom fine furniture Driven Entrepreneur and Craftsman by Sheila Turner-Hilliard Photos courtesy of Gene Krueger
It’s 7am and the craftsman’s shop doors are open. The smell of newly lacquered wood permeates the air. Lights on, and a new day begins at the carpentry shop of Gene Krueger Fine Furniture. For over 50 years, Gene has been building furniture, but the dreams of a craftsman’s studio, outfitted with all the tools to build exquisite pieces of furniture, was a winding road. Gene’s father, a master craftsman in his own right, gave his sons the knowledge of how to use tools and the character to never fear failure. But becoming a furniture craftsman was only part of a journey of innovation, creativity and growth for one of the county’s leading entrepreneurs and influencers.
Gene Krueger, Craftsman today Gene Krueger, in his NSF days
As a graduate of St. Joseph’s College, Gene’s first calling was as a biology and math teacher as well as track and cross-country coach. In 1964, with his family in mind, Gene decided to pursue a different career and landed a job with Sperry Univac, one of the first mainframe computer companies. He quickly mastered computer languages and designed software at the genesis of the Information Age. Because programming computers was a new industry, it required long and grueling hours similar to the start-up tech businesses of today. Even with the amount of time spent on programming, Gene noticed that many of the IT departments they were working with still faced problems with their computer systems. “I saw those unmet needs as an opportunity,” said Gene, “so I decided to go out on my own and become a consultant and software designer for Philadelphia-area companies.” His entrepreneurial drive was ignited, and Krueger Associates, Inc. was born. Over the years, Gene acquired mainframe computers to manage his clients’ data, and he housed them in the Lawrence Park Industrial Center. As his business grew, so did his staff. Phone centers, data entry and, shortly after, warehousing and shipping facilities were added. The company name also changed to reflect its expansion: National Fulfillment Services reliably served hundreds of national clients and employed thousands of people from our community. A growing business needs furniture, and Gene was up for the task! His passion for craftsmanship would be evident as he built furniture to outfit the call centers, conference rooms and executive desks. His love for his family and friends motivated him to also use his spare time to create many custom furniture pieces for their enjoyment.
16
Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors
December 2020
